James J Braddock - Cinderella Man Boxer - World Heavyweight Boxing Champion 1935 On this day in 1933, Braddock fought Hans Birkie in a 10 round Loss James J. Braddock James J Braddock earned his nickname "Cinderella Man" from his seemingly fairytale like rise from a poor local fighter to the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Braddock, born in New York City, had a powerful right hand and a successful amateur career. He turned pro in 1926. Braddock had victories over fighters like Jimmy Slattery and Pete Latzo. Braddock fought light heavyweight champ Tommy Loughran in 1929 for the title, but was defeated in a heartbreaking 15-round decision. Following the Loughran fight and the stock market crash of 1929, Jim Braddock was down on his luck. He had a hard time struggling to win fights and put food on the table for his young family. Eventually Jim's luck began to change. In 1934 he had upset wins against Corn Griffin and John Henry Lewis.

With these two wins, Braddock set himself up for a shot for the title against heavyweight champion Max Baer. On June 13th, 1935, in Long Island City, N.Y., Braddock, as a 10 to 1 underdog, won the heavyweight championship of the world from Max Baer. The general reaction in most quarters was described as, "the greatest fistic upset since the defeat of John L. Sullivan by Jim Corbett". Braddock would lose his heavyweight title two years later in an 8 round KO to "The Brown Bomber", Joe Louis. He retired after a final win over Tommy Farr in 1938. Jim was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1964, the Hudson County Hall of Fame in 1991 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. © Estate of James J.

Braddock, All Rights Reserved Site created and maintained by Swirling Essay on Cinderella Man and the Great Depression - 837 Words cinderella man and the great depression Essay ...Professor O’Neil Hist 173 2 May 2015 Cinderella Man and the Great Depression Cinderella Man is a biographical film of boxer James J. Braddock that clearly illustrates Americas struggle through the Great Depression. Cinderella Man accurately shows the prevailing attitude of the time. The movie also focuses on how boxing was a temporary shelter from the... 645 Words | 3 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...Cinderella Man The boxing drama starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger and directed by Ron Howard is based on a true story of one man's extraordinary fight to save the family he loved. "Cinderella Man" tells a boxing story we've all heard before, Fighter gets knocked down, fighter struggles, fighter ultimately wins, but this story is different. This movie characterizes what actually happened to James J. Braddock, the celebrated... 1090 Words | 3 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...characters and describe them. How has Ron Howard directed your response to them?

Do these characters change during the course of the film?’ Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film is based on real-life events that focus on the life of the professional boxer James J. Braddock and his struggle through the Great Depression. The main characters portrayed in the film are very diverse and versatile... 833 Words | 3 Pages Cinderella Man Great Depresion Essay ...credit The Cinderella Man is a movie based on a true story during the Great Depression in New Jersey. The movie portrayed many scenes that are much related to the Depression period. In September 25, 1929, just 1 month from Black Tuesday, James J. Braddock was living in style, big bucks to earn, he lived in a house, had a lot of jewelry on his cub board, and other valuables. The Roaring twenties looked fun but that was just... 558 Words | 2 Pages Essay about Cinderella Man ...“Cinderella Man” is exactly what it sounds like: a Cinderella story about a man. The previews bring to mind “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid” but luckily the likeness stops there.

The story of James Braddock (Russell Crowe), a boxer down on his luck during the Depression, “Cinderella Man” is about history, legend and courage. Many so-called Cinderella stories involve legend and... 455 Words | 2 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...Cinderella Man Essay When you think of the Roaring Twenties, Jazz musicians, The Harlem Renaissance, and flappers all come to mind. They all remind you of great joy and happiness. Light-weight contender James J. Braddock was an average family man living a great, successful life in the United States during the year of 1928. When the Great Depression hit due to the stock market crash, James’ life... 732 Words | 2 Pages cinderella man Essay ...

Cinderella Man Written By MARC CERASINI Based on the Motion Picture Screenplay By CLIFF HOLLINGSWORTH and AKIVA GOLDSMAN Motion Picture Story By CLIFF HOLLINGSWORTH Level 4 R e t o l d by Paul Shipton Series Editors: A n d y Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter Contents Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex C M 2 0 2JE, England and Associated Companies throughout the world. ISBN-10: 1-4058-0642-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-4058-0642-8 page... 29170 Words | 52 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...1930’s shown in Cinderella Man In Ron Howard’s film, Cinderella Man, the story of the famous boxer James J. Braddock is told during his career in the late 1920’s and 1930’s during the Great Depression. Jim is a fierce boxer during the 1920’s and is very successful, but as the years go by Jim begins to wash up and lose his luck in the ring.

He suffers an injury and loses his job as a professional boxer right... 734 Words | 2 Pages 'Cinderella Man - The Real Jim Braddock Story' - YouTube 'Cinderella Man - The Real Jim Braddock Story' Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Mar 7, 2012 Documentary about World Heavyweight Champion James J.

Braddock.___________________________________________________________________________________Tags: jimmy braddock documentary james braddock cinderella man joe louis max baer heavyweight boxing boxer amir khan lennox lewis chris eubank nigel benn michael watson sugar ray robinson manny pacquiao pacman floyd mayweather miguel cotto marquez timothy bradley wladimir klitschko vitali klitchko dereck chisora derek mike tyson george foreman roy jones junior tribute video best highlight ko knockout compilation freddie roach gene fullmer carmen basilio bobo olson randy turpin leonard marvin hagler barrera david haye brawl marvin hagler tommy hearns thomas roberto duran Category June 2 2005 3:51 PM Fight Snub By David Fellerath Max Baer (left) vs. James J.

Braddock heavyweight championship fight, Long Island City, New York, June 13, 1935 Attentive viewers of the climactic fight of Cinderella Man, Ron Howard's Depression-era crowd-pleaser, will notice a Star of David on the red trunks of Max Baer, the lethal opponent of Jim "Cinderella Man" Braddock. The star is significantly less prominent than the one that the real Baer wore in the 1935 fight. It's no surprise that Howard would obscure this detail, as it would complicate his film's Rocky-meets-Seabiscuit narrative. What's funny, and ironic, is that by downplaying Baer's Star of David, Howard may be making an accurate historical comment: Baer was the only self-proclaimed Jew to ever claim the heavyweight crown. But was he really even Jewish? To be sure, Cinderella Man's fleeting portrait of Baer as a skirt-chasing playboy, notorious for clowning in the ring, is consistent with published accounts . Baer was also a ferocious hitter—a "larruping thumper," in the Times' gloriously redundant formulation.

In his early career, he secured a fearsome reputation on the West Coast, killing a boxer named Frankie Campbell during a 1930 bout. The tragedy so rattled Baer that he lost four of his next six fights. In the film, the death of Campbell is used to build up Baer as a remorseless killer. One movie's terrifying thug, however, is another man's father. "It was after he killed Campbell that he started clowning," Maxie Baer Jr. said in a recent telephone conversation from Las Vegas. "He started smoking cigarettes and he had nightmares for years." Advertisement After Campbell's death, Baer decided to move east and train under the tutelage of Jack Dempsey. It was in 1933, when Baer was 24, that he came out as a Jew and wore the Star of David on his trunks for the first time. His opponent was Max Schmeling, the "Black Uhlan of the Rhine" and a reluctant standard-bearer for Hitler's Third Reich. "That one's for Hitler," Baer snarled between blows to the stumbling Schmeling. He knocked him out in the 10th round . It was his finest hour in the ring.

In the post-fight coverage, however, Baer's new "racial" identity raised eyebrows. As reported in the New York Times: Get Slate in your inbox. [Baer] explained yesterday, however, that he wore this insignia for the first time, because he is partly Jewish. "My father is Jewish and my mother is Scotch-Irish," said Baer. "I wore the insignia because I thought I should, and I intend to wear it in every bout hereafter." Over the years, the significance of Baer's gesture has been dismissed as a publicity stunt in a sport that thrives on racial and ethnic conflict. Jeremy Schaap, the author of Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History, takes a more nuanced view. Schaap establishes that Baer's father was at least half-Jewish before arguing that Baer's manager, Ancil Hoffman, stoked his boxer's ethnic consciousness as a motivating tool. Baer Jr. confirms this view. "My dad didn't know who Hitler was.

He only read the sports pages, but Hoffman kept drilling it into his head, 'You're fighting for the Jews.' " Advertisement Baer's prominent display of the Star of David came at a time of continuous bad tidings from Germany. Anti-Jewish boycotts were under way, Jews were being expelled from official positions, and Dachau had opened for the internment of communists. A day after the Schmeling fight, a Times dispatch from Berlin reported that the German papers were reticent about their countryman's defeat. "All papers ignore the fact that Schmeling was beaten by a man who in Germany would be classified as a Jew," the unnamed Times correspondent wrote. One can only imagine the propaganda uses Joseph Goebbels would have found had Schmeling defeated Baer. By disposing of Schmeling, Baer earned his title shot against another unfortunate show horse for European political fashion, Primo "the Ambling Alp" Carnera, a 6-foot-6-inch, 263-pound former circus strongman and a mobbed-up mascot for Benito Mussolini.

This 1934 fight—briefly but vividly re-enacted in Cinderella Man—was a frightful affair in which Baer knocked down the clumsy giant 11 (or 12) times, despite being outweighed by 53 pounds. The heavyweight title now belonged to Baer, who would hold it for 364 days of nightclub carousing and adoring magazine articles. In a 1934 Vanity Fair profile, Baer is described by a bemused Westbrook Pegler in strikingly Gatsby-like terms, a striver taking "dago-singing" lessons and "long-wording people into a daze" from a pocket dictionary. More presciently, Pegler also wrote, "Baer is a fast swinger and he probably will keep the title until frivolity, late hours and cigars abate his speed by the fraction of an instant. Then, presumably, a scientific boxer will beat him.

…" That studiously determined upstart turned out to be gritty Jimmy Braddock from the Jersey docks, known by the more fitting "Plain Jim" before Damon Runyon tagged him "Cinderella Man." Braddock's tale is indeed inspiring: He had a family to feed while Baer's expenses ran mostly to his wardrobe and his mistresses. Baer Jr. cheerfully admits that his father was woefully unprepared. "He didn't take Braddock seriously, he didn't train, and he got a b.j. before the fight," he says, apparently listing the offenses in ascending order of gravity. Despite the star on his trunks that night, Baer was never a practicing Jew. His tenuous claim, however, seems to have been good enough for Jewish fight fans. Schaap writes that, on the night of the Braddock fight, "Of the 30,000 people in the Bowl, virtually everyone except the Jews was cheering for Braddock." Stepping back, Baer's "Jewishness" was only one aspect of his elaborate self-invention.

In 1933 he starred with Myrna Loy and his upcoming opponent Primo Carnera in The Prizefighter and the Lady, in which he played an all-American underdog who challenges Carnera for the championship. The film was a success and Baer received good reviews for a role that included singing and dancing. It played for a while in Germany, until Goebbels banned the film because Baer was in the cast. But his most enduring film is the 1956 anti-boxing exposé The Harder They Fall, adapted from a Budd Schulberg novel. The film is a virtually undisguised scandal-mongering account of events leading up to the Baer-Carnera fight of 1934. While the justifiably aggrieved Carnera sued Columbia Pictures and Schulberg, Baer gamely played a vicious caricature of himself, a portrait not unlike the Baer we see in Cinderella Man.

Schulberg slammed The Harder They Fall as naively sensationalistic, singling out the film's use of Baer: "Maxie Baer, who queens through this incredible part, may have been a tamed tiger but he wasn't a monster." Even though Baer underachieved as a boxing talent, he still has the distinction of being a feared fighter who wore a conspicuous Star of David on his trunks in the dangerous years of the 1930s. He died of a massive heart attack at the age of 50 in 1959. (Among other things, he didn't live to see his son achieve television celebrity as Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies.) Cinderella Man may reduce Baer to a crude and simplistic villain, but Baer probably would have enjoyed the movie anyway—he despised boxing. "He thought it was horseshit," says his son. "He really wanted to be an actor." James-J-Braddock also known as The Cinderella Man. Mailing List James J.

Braddock James-J-Braddock James Walter “The Cinderella Man” Braddock (June 7, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an Irish American boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1935 to 1937. Fighting under the name James J. Braddock (ostensibly to follow the pattern set by two prior world boxing champions, James J. Corbett and James J. Jeffries), he was known for his powerful right hand, granite chin, and his amazing comeback from a floundering career, which saw him lose several bouts before struggling to support his family by working on the docks during the Great Depression, and earned him the nickname “The Cinderella Man” from Damon Runyon. Braddock was managed by Joe Gould. Baer vs. Braddock In 1934, Braddock was given a fight with the highly touted John “Corn” Griffin. Although Braddock was intended simply as a stepping stone in Griffin’s career, he knocked out the “Ozark Cyclone” in the third round. Braddock then fought John Henry Lewis, a future light heavyweight champion. He won in one of the most important fights of his career.

After defeating another highly regarded heavyweight contender, Art Lasky, whose nose he broke during the bout on March 22, 1935, Braddock was given a title fight against the World Heavyweight Champion, Max Baer. Considered little more than a journeyman fighter, Braddock was hand-picked by Baer’s handlers because he was seen as an easy payday for the champion.Instead, on June 13, 1935, at Madison Square Garden Bowl, Braddock won the heavyweight championship of the world as the 10-to-1 underdog in one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history . During the fight, a dogged Braddock took a few heavy hits from the powerful younger champion (30 years vs 26 years for Baer), but Braddock kept coming, wearing down Baer, who seemed perplexed by Braddock’s ability to take a punch. In the end, the judges gave Braddock the title with a unanimous decision. James Braddock suffered from problems with his arthritic hands after injuries throughout his career, and in 1936 his title defense in Madison Square Garden against the German Max Schmeling was canceled under suspicious circumstances.

Braddock argued he would have received only a US$25,000 purse against Schmeling, compared to $250,000 against rising star Joe Louis . Louis was considered to be the more dangerous opponent and the fact he as a black man could be heavyweight champ made many boxing insiders against him getting a title shot. Braddock agreed to the fight with the stipulation that he would receive a percentage of Louis’ future purses. While Braddock was able to knock down Louis in the fight, Louis went on to win. Louis was quoted as saying that Braddock was the bravest man he ever fought. Holder of the title :June 13, 1935-June 22, 1937 Nickname(s) :Bulldog of Bergen, Pride of the Irish, Pride of New Jersey, Cinderella Man Height :6 ft 2½ in (1.89 m) Reach 75 in (191 cm) Death date :November 29, 1974(1974-11-29) (aged 69) Death place :North Bergen, New Jersey Boxing record Boxing - James J.

Braddock - The Cinderella Man Click on Image to Enlarge CAMDEN COURIER-POST - JANUARY 22, 1938 Braddock Gains Decision Over Farr in Heavyweight Fuss Ex-Champion Finishes Strong To Wipe Out Foe's Early Lead ...continued below......click on images to enlarge... ...continued below......click on images to enlarge... ...continued below......click on images to enlarge... Click on Images to Enlarge CAMDEN COURIER-POST - JANUARY 22, 1938 ...continued below... Click on Image to Enlarge A few weeks before the Tommy Farr fight, Jim Braddock took some time off to appear on the radio program Gangbusters, where he narrated The Case of the Jersey Butcher Bandits on January 1, 1938. James J. Braddock CAMDEN COURIER-POST - JANUARY 31, 1938 James Braddock, Prize Ring's 'Cinderella Man,' Announces Retirement from Fight Game The Reason He Gave It Up Here is the main reason why James J. Braddock, former world's heavyweight champion, retired from the sport.

Shown At left are his children, Rose Marie, Howard, in rear, and James Jr., with Braddock and wife Mae. ...continued... ...continued...

FIGHT RECORD 1926 Apr 14 Al Settle West Hoboken, NJ ND 4 Apr 22 George Deschner Ridgefield Park, NJ KO 2 May Phil Weisberger KO 1 May Jack O'Day KO 1 May Willie Daily Wilkes-Barre, Pa KO 1 Jun 18 Leo Dobson Jersey City, NJ KO 1 Jul 9 Walter Westman Jersey City, NJ TK 3 Aug Jim Pearson KO 2 Aug Gene Travers KO 1 Sep 13 Mike Rock Jersey City, NJ KO 1 Sep 16 Ray Kennedy West New York, NJ KO 1 Sep 30 Carmine Caggiano West New York, NJ KO 1 Nov 12 Lou Barba New York, NY W 6 Dec 4 Al Settle New York, NY W 6 Dec 8 Joe Hudson New York, NY W 6 Dec 20 Doc Conrad Jersey City, NJ ND 4 1927 Jan 28 George LaRocco New York, NY KO 1 Feb 1 Johnny Alberts Wilkes-Barre, Pa KO 4 Feb 15 Jack Nelson Wilkes-Barre, Pa W 6 Mar 3 Lou

 Barba New York, NY W 4 Mar 8 Nick Fadil New York, NY W 6 -Weights: 166 3/4 - 177 Mar Tom McKiernan KO 2 Apr 19 Frankie Lennon Wilkes-Barre, Pa KO 3 May 2 Stanley Simmons Jersey City, NJ TK 1 -Weights: 170 - 180 May 11 Jack Stone West New York, NJ ND 10 May 20 George LaRocco New York, NY D 6 May 27 Paul Cavalier Arcola Park, NJ ND 10 Jun 8 Jimmy Francis West New York, NJ ND 10 -Weights: 168 - 169 Jul 13 Jimmy Francis Union City, NJ ND 10 Jul 21 George LaRocco New York, NY W 6 -Weights: 165 1/2 - 179 Aug 10 Vic McLaughlin West New York, NJ ND 10 Sep 21 Herman Heller West New York, NJ ND 10 Oct 5 Joe Monte New York, NY D 10 1928 Jan 

6 Paul Swiderski New York, NY W 8 May 7 Jack Darnell Jersey City, NJ KO 4 May 16 Jimmy Francis West New York, NJ ND 10 Jun 7 Joe Monte New York, NY L 10 Jun 27 Billy Vidabeck West New York, NJ ND 10 Jul 25 Nando Tassi New York, NY D 10 Aug 8 Joe Sekyra New York, NY L 10 Oct 17 Pete Latzo Newark, NJ W 10 Nov 30 Gerald "Tuffy" Griffith New York, NY KO 2 1929 Jan 18 Leo Lomski New York, NY L 10 Feb 4 George Gemas Newark, NJ KO 1 Mar 11 Jimmy Slattery New York, NY TK 9 -Weights: 173 1/4 - 168 1/2 Apr 22 Eddie Benson Buffalo, NY KO 1 -Weights: 174 - 171 1/2 Jul 18 Tommy Loughran New York, NY L 15 -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World; Weights:

 170 - 174 Aug 27 Yale Okun Los Angeles, Ca L 10 Nov 15 Maxie Rosenbloom New York, NY L 10 Dec 7 Jack "Jake" Warren Brooklyn, NY KO 2 1930 Jan 17 Leo Lomski Chicago, Il L 10 Apr 7 Billy Jones Philadelphia, Pa L 10 Jun 5 Harold Mays West New York, NJ ND 10 Jul 2 Joe Monte Boston, Ma W 10 Aug 12 Alvin "Babe" Hunt Boston, Ma L 10 Sep 19 Phil Mercurio Boston, Ma KO 2 1931 Jan 23 Ernie Schaaf New York, NY L 10 Mar 5 Jack Roper Miami, Fl KO 1 Mar 30 Jack Kelly New Haven, Ct W 10 Sep 3 Andy Mitchell Detroit, Mi D 10 Oct 9 Joe Sekyra New York, NY L 10 Nov 10 Maxie Rosenbloom Minneapolis, Mn NC 2 Dec 4 Al Gainer New Haven, Ct L 10 1932 Mar 

18 Baxter Calmes Chicago, Il L 10 May 13 Charley Retzlaff Boston, Ma L 10 -Weights: 181 - 195 Jun 21 Vincent Parille New York, NY W 5 Jul 25 Tony Shucco New York, NY L 8 Sep 21 John Henry Lewis San Francisco, Ca L 10 Sep 30 Dynamite Jackson San Diego, Ca W 10 Oct 21 Tom Patrick Hollywood, Ca L 10 Nov 9 Lou Scozza San Francisco, Ca LT 6 -Braddock suffered a cut eye 1933 Jan 13 Martin Levandowski Chicago, Il W 10 Jan 20 Hans Birkie New York, NY L 10 -Weights: 181 1/2 - 200 Mar 1 Al Ettore Philadelphia, Pa LF 4 Mar 21 Al Stillman St.

Louis, Mo TK 10 Apr 5 Martin Levandowski St. Louis, Mo L 10 May 19 Al Stillman St.

Louis, Mo L 10 Jun 21 Les Kennedy Jersey City, NJ W 10 Jul 21 Chester Matan West New York, NJ W 10 Sep 25 Abe Feldman Mount Vernon, NY NC 6 1934 Jun 14 John "Corn" Griffin New York, NY (2:37) TK 3 Nov 16 John Henry Lewis New York, NY W 10 1935 Mar 22 Art Lasky New York, NY W 15 Jun 13 Max Baer Long Island City, NY W 15 -Heavyweight Championship of the World; Weights: 193 3/4 - 209 1/2 Jul 18 Jack McCarthy Columbus, Oh EX 3 Aug 27 Jack McCarthy Houston, Tx EX 3 Nov 5 Jack McCarthy Seattle, Wa EX 3 Nov 12 Jack McCarthy Portland, Or EX 2 Nov 15 Jack McCarthy San Francisco, Ca EX 3 Nov 20 Jack McCarthy Oakland, Ca EX 3 1936 Sep 30 Max Schmeling MSG, NY SCH (Fight scheduled but cancelled due to hand injury

 suffered by Braddock) Dec 12 New York State Athletic Comission rules, after a hearing: "The Commission forbids Braddock from engaging in a bout of any length whatsoever against Joe Louis before he defends his title against Schmeling." 1937 Feb Signs to meet Joe Louis Jun 3 Max Schmeling MSG, NY SCH (Braddock chose to fight Louis instead) Jun 10 Madison Square Garden denied request for an injunction to prevent the Louis-Braddock fight.

Jun 22 Joe Louis Chicago, Il (1:10) LK 8 -Heavyweight Championship of the World; Weights: 197 - 197 1/4 1938 Jan 21 Tommy Farr New York, NY W 10 -Weights: 199 1/2 - 207 1941 Mar 26 Clarence "Red" Burman Charlotte, NC EX 5 Jim Braddock - BoxRec Jim Braddock Hall of Fame bio: click World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee Name: Jim Braddock Birth Name: James Walter Braddock Born: 1905-06-07 Birthplace: New York, New York, USA Died: 1974-11-29 (Age:69) Hometown: North Bergen, New Jersey, USA Stance: Orthodox Height: 6′ 2½″ / 189cm Reach: 75″ / 191cm 4 External Links Career Overview Like the man himself in the 1930s, the legacy of Jim Braddock has had a recent comeback.

The 2005 motion picture "Cinderella Man" revived his forgotten name and story to people of today. Although the film romanticized some of the everyman appeal of Braddock's story, the tale of his journey from impoverished dock worker to owner of the richest title in sports is compelling. Overcoming the starvation and destitution of the Depression, chronic injuries to his right hand, and twenty-three professional losses inside of five years through determination and hard work, Braddock's story represents one of the great aspects of the sport of boxing: its presentation of opportunity to the apparently hopeless and its occasional rewarding of hard work over natural talent. Which is not to say that he lacked talent. Fast and skilled, Jimmy showed skill as a boxing counter puncher. Possessed of a thunderous right hand punch and known as a determined competitor, Braddock suffered just two knockout losses in eighty-six pro outings. On top of that, he fought eight bouts against hall of fame competition and etched himself a place in the hall over a twelve year career. Bulldog of Bergen Though Braddock's winning the heavyweight championship was a major upset, it was not as though he came out of nowhere.

Jimmy had been a valid contender in the light heavyweight division earlier in the decade. Born James Walter Braddock into the notoriously impoverished Irish American neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in New York City, Jimmy's earliest experience with fisticuffs occurred in the streets at a young age. After he moved with his parents to North Bergen, New Jersey as a schoolboy, his fighting ways continued until someone suggested he channel his violent habits into organized boxing. At age sixteen, Jimmy began his amateur career. After winning the New Jersey State championships in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, he eventually turned professional at twenty years old. Braddock's manager, Joe Gould suggested that Jimmy change his name, from James Walter Braddock to "James J. Braddock", for stage purposes. The "J" initial was to imitate the frequently used middle initial of early heavyweight boxing champions James J. Corbett and James J. Jeffries . Gould guided his new charge into his first pro match against Al Settle at Union City, New Jersey, in 1926. The fight went the scheduled four round distance and, because official boxing decisions were illegal in New Jersey and other states at the time, the fight was official listed as a "no-decision".

It was a lackluster start for Gould's new light heavyweight fighter, but Jimmy quickly showed promise in the next several months, knocking out his next eleven opponents, eight in the first round. By the end of the year he was fighting regularly in New York City, where the big money opponents and crowds appeared. He made a successful debut at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1927 against George LaRocco . Though LaRocco outweighed him by twenty-two pounds, Braddock put him away inside of a round. With Braddock still undefeated by the end of 1927, Gould began making a serious push at getting his fighter a title shot in 1928. A decision loss to the bigger Joe Monte over ten rounds on June 7 of that year, Jimmy's first professional loss, did not discourage he or Gould. Braddock was put in the ring with marginal contender Joe Sekyra just three bouts later, Sekyra taking a ten round decision. By this point, the newspapers had begun worrying that Braddock's talent was being squandered by Gould, who was rushing him too quickly to the top.

Ignoring the critics, Braddock next took on Pete Latzo , the former welterweight champion who was making a comeback as a light heavyweight. The result was a noteworthy upset, as Jimmy broke the ex-champ's jaw and earned a ten round decision victory. That essential victory having saved his status as a young prospect, Braddock was nonetheless a significant underdog when he next fought undefeated power-puncher Tuffy Griffith at Madison Square Garden. To the astonishment of all in attendance, Braddock dropped his man four times in the second round for a sensational knockout win. At the close of 1928, The Ring , the sport?s most popular journal, rated Jimmy as the number one contender for the crown held by world light heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran . On January 18, 1929, he was matched with the number two ranked contender, Leo Lomski of Aberdeen, Washington. Lomski took the ten round decision, but Braddock quickly rebounded with a ninth round stoppage of former world champion Jimmy Slattery , two months later. After a first round pummeling of overmatched Eddie Benson in April, Braddock was finally given his shot at Loughran.

A future hall of famer considered among the great light heavyweight champs in history, Loughran was a fast, skilled boxer, who was by this time already a veteran of over one hundred pro bouts and was making his fourth defense of the championship. On July 18, 1929, he danced circles around the relative upstart Braddock, dealing the New Jersey fighter an embarrassingly one-sided boxing lesson and taking a fifteen round unanimous decision. Financial & Professional Troubles He was in the ring less than a month later to fight the unknown Yale Okun in Los Angeles. The upset decision in favor of Okun, however, foreshadowed the tailspin Braddock's career was about to take. At the same time, the loss illustrated that Braddock appeared to have lost confidence due to the loss to Loughran noted above. On November 15, 1929, looking to prove the doubters wrong, Jimmy took on number one contender Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom , another future hall of famer and more experienced fighter. Rosenbloom won a decision, dealing Jimmy his third consecutive loss in a period of four months.

Braddock's boxing career took another turn for the worse when he was forced to work on the docks (due to the effects of the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression) and did not have the time to train or money to pay trainers. His right hand, his best punch, also frequently broke in fights and Jimmy did not have the money to get it properly cared for. Instead he would often go into fights on short notice, just days apart, disguising the injury. From January, 1930 to May, 1933, he lost seventeen pro bouts and disappeared from the view and minds of the boxing press and fans. He moved into the heavyweight division, but fared no better. With fight offers now coming less frequently and respectable paydays even less frequently than that, Braddock reluctantly borrowed from welfare to support his children. Things seemed to be turning up for Jim's career in the Summer of 1933. He won two consecutive bouts in June and July. But after breaking his right hand in a bout against prospect Abe Feldman on September 25, Braddock's career seemed over. Unable to fight and only working occasionally on the Hoboken docks, Jimmy's future seemed bleak.

Cinderella Man Now living in horrendous poverty, Braddock was suddenly open to a return to the ring when Madison Square Garden promoter James J. Johnston approached him about facing Corn Griffin , Johnston's latest prospect. Griffin had impressed sportswriters with his boxing technique as a sparring partner to reigning heavyweight champion Primo Carnera . On two day's notice, a match was made between Griffin and Braddock, who was perceived as a has-been pushover for Giffin to annihilate, on the under card of the heavyweight championship bout between Primo Carnera and Max Baer at the Garden on June 14, 1934. The younger, fresher Griffin fearlessly battered his over-the-hill opponent in the opening round, and sent Jimmy down for the second time in his career during those second round. Jimmy rose and stunned the crowd by putting Griffin down with a well-time right hand counter. The remainder of the round was all Braddock, as Griffin, clearly stunned, flailed aimlessly and took big right hand blows to the head. The fight continued along the same lines going into the third, until the referee stopped the match and declared Jimmy the upset winner.

"I did that on hash", Braddock gloated to Gould in victory. "Wait till you see what I can do on steak." Jimmy's purse for the bout was two-hundred and fifty dollars. While Griffin had been no top contender, the surprising win did convince some that Braddock may have enough left to continue fighting. When Madison Square Garden's Jimmy Johnston signed up-and-coming light heavyweight John Henry Lewis of Pheonix, Arizona to a three-fight contract, Johnston arranged for Lewis to face Braddock in what was supposed to be a showcase for Lewis in his New York debut. Two years earlier, the slick and swift Lewis won a clear cut ten-round decision over Braddock and was the heavy favorite for the rematch on November 16, 1934. Again Jimmy turned the tables. He outfought his younger opponent, even putting Lewis down. After ten rounds, Braddock was the winner and took the ten round decision. John Henry Lewis would go on to win the world's light heavyweight championship and establish credentials as a future hall of famer. Now a surprise entry into the heavyweight contender rankings, Braddock was matched with fellow contender Art Lasky of Minneapolis.

Lasky was being groomed for a title shot at heavyweight champion Max Baer, but needed a win over a name opponent in order to secure his chance. When they got into the ring together on March 22, 1935, at Madison Square Garden, Lasky outweighed Braddock by nearly fifteen pounds. Braddock, however, turned his size disadvantage into an advantage. He constantly circled the heavier man, using his work rate and punching accuracy to maintain a lead on the scorecards and keep Art from getting settled. In the eleventh round, Lasky managed to land a terrific punch that sent Jimmy's mouthpiece flying. But otherwise, the fight was all Braddock and, after fifteen rounds, the outcome was clear. Braddock's 1934 to 1935 comeback had created a sensation in fight circles. Damon Runyon dubbed him the "Cinderella Man" because of his rags-to-riches story and The Ring magazine now rated him as the number two heavyweight contender, behind Germany?s Max Schmeling .

When the Madison Square Garden Corporation , who virtually controlled the heavyweight championship at the time, demanded Schmeling face Braddock to determine who would get a chance at Max Baer?s title, Schmeling outright refused to fight Jimmy. As a result, Garden executives arranged a title shot for Braddock. Younger and much bigger, the hard-hitting, wild-brawling Baer came into the fight the favorite by eight-to-one. However, Max failed to take his challenger seriously and neglected to train properly for the match. On June 13, 1935, at Madison Square Garden, the champion found himself having an unexpected tough time. Braddock, meanwhile, fought the fight with determination and skill. He used constant movement and a stiff left jab to keep Max unsettled. Baer tried to throw his haymaker right hand, but Braddock knew to look out for it and the champion usually missed by a long distance. Unable to compete with Braddock's conditioning and technical precision, Baer could do little else but gasp for breath and make faces at his opponent. The champion fouled on occasion and, when warned by the referee, made theatrical gestures of apology to the crowd and Braddock.

The result was a unanimous decision for Braddock in one of the great upsets in the annals of the heavyweight championship. In two years, Jim Braddock had gone from living off of government assistance to capturing the richest prize in sports. The Louis Fight and Later Years Jimmy and manager Joe Gould sought to make the most of the newfound fame and success. For two years, Braddock avoided professional competition. Instead, they froze the title, which allowed Braddock to earn money touring the country giving boxing exhibitions and public appearances. When it came time for him to return to the ring, Max Schmeling was still the standout heavyweight contender. A former champion himself and a future hall of famer, the German had recently scored his own upset victory of note by knocking out the undefeated Brown Bomber of Detroit, Joe Louis , in twelve rounds. Though the recent political activities inside Schmeling?s native country promised controversy surrounding an international title bout, arrangements for a Braddock-Schmeling fight were put into the works by Jimmy Johnston and the Madison Square Garden Corporation. When Braddock claimed a hand injury in training, however, those plans were postponed.

Whether or not the champ truly suffered the injury is not known for sure, but the delay allowed Gould time to weasel out of the Schmeling match. Mike Jacobs , promoter for the Twentieth Century Sporting Club (the Garden?s top rival), offered Gould ten percent of all of the ring earnings of Joe Louis for the next decade if Braddock would sign to fight Louis instead. Over the vehement protests of Schmeling and the Garden, Braddock signed to face Louis for the championship. The Louis fight, held at Chicago's Comiskey Park on June 22, 1937, was Jimmy's first in two years. His challenger, nine years his junior, had fought a dozen times in that period, winning eleven of those bouts, ten by knockout. In a rare case of the challenger being the favorite over the champion, Louis was made the 10-to-1 favorite. At first, it appeared that Jimmy would pull off the upset. In the first round, he fired a short right hand that put Louis on the seat of his pants. Stunned but not hurt, Louis rose at the count of two and dealt a brutal beating to the champion.

Jimmy did well to last into the eighth round, when a right hand caught him directly on the chin. Braddock's knees sagged and then, with a delayed reaction, he crumbled to the floor, blood spilling out of his nose onto the floor. He was counted out and the title transferred to Louis. Feeling he had enough in the tank for one more win, Jimmy next fought on January 21, 1938. His opponent, Welsh Tommy Farr , was a clever boxer who had gone fifteen rounds in a losing title shot at Louis. Again Braddock scored a noteworthy upset, rallying in the later rounds to take a ten round decision. With that, Jimmy retired, focusing instead on a career as a manager of younger fighters. He invested the money won in his comeback well and ran several successful business in later life. He passed away on November 29, 1974 at age 69 and was inducted posthumously into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. Four years later, he legend was revitalized with the biopic "Cinderella Man"" , with Russell Crowe playing the role of Jim.

Sources Cinderella Man - Heavyweight World Champion Scene :: Movie Scenes, Movie Clips and More Cinderella Man Comment on Cinderella Man: Heavyweight World Champion Release: 2005-06-02 Clip Description Jim (Russell Crowe) defeats the reigning heavyweight boxer, Max Baer (Craig Bierko), and is named the new Heavyweight World Champion. Movie Description Cinderella Man is the story of a boxer in the 1920’s who after his retirement has a surprise comeback in order to get him and his family out of a socially poor state. The film is based on the true story of boxer Jim Braddock who was more famously known as Cinderella Man. Director Cinderella Man Essay - 1090 Words Cinderella Man Essay ...‘Choose two or more of the central characters and describe them. How has Ron Howard directed your response to them? Do these characters change during the course of the film?’ Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film is based on real-life events that focus on the life of the professional boxer James J. Braddock and his struggle through the Great Depression. The main characters portrayed in the film are very diverse and...

833 Words | 3 Pages cinderella man Essay ... Cinderella Man Written By MARC CERASINI Based on the Motion Picture Screenplay By CLIFF HOLLINGSWORTH and AKIVA GOLDSMAN Motion Picture Story By CLIFF HOLLINGSWORTH Level 4 R e t o l d by Paul Shipton Series Editors: A n d y Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter Contents Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex C M 2 0 2JE, England and Associated Companies throughout the world. ISBN-10: 1-4058-0642-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-4058-0642-8 page... 29170 Words | 52 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...When you think of the Roaring Twenties images of Jazz musicians, grand ballrooms, and Flappers, come to mind. They all remind you of joy and prosperity. One man, James J. Braddock, was on top of the world in 1928. Braddock at the time was a lightweight title contender.

James was living the life all people in New Jersey wised they could have. He had 3 beautiful children, a loving wife, and a profitable job. Braddock was doing what he loved and he was good at it. In 1929, however,... 1053 Words | 3 Pages Cinderella Man Synopsys Essay ...Cinderella Man Synopsis and Cinematography Part 1: The Story Famous boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crow) looks over his defeated opponent as fans cheer on another victory. This 2005 film produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Ron Howard tells the story of a dedicated man struggling to get by during the Great Depression. Cinderella Man begins on November 30, 1928, with a 2nd round knockout over Tuffy Griffith. Shortly... 625 Words | 2 Pages Interdisciplinary Research Paper ...Nuclear Family as portrayed in Cinderella Man “I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them.” James J. Braddock did exactly that. Cinderella Man was filmed in 2005.

It was directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer, with screenplay credits to Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman; Cliff Hollingsworth wrote the story as well. This film was released and aired in over 30 countries through out the world. On its... 2149 Words | 5 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...Cinderella Man Essay When you think of the Roaring Twenties, Jazz musicians, The Harlem Renaissance, and flappers all come to mind. They all remind you of great joy and happiness. Light-weight contender James J. Braddock was an average family man living a great, successful life in the United States during the year of 1928. When the Great Depression hit due to the stock market crash, James’ life started to go downhill and it was becoming harder for... 732 Words | 2 Pages Cinderella Man Essay ...Life in the 1930’s shown in Cinderella Man In Ron Howard’s film, Cinderella Man, the story of the famous boxer James J. Braddock is told during his career in the late 1920’s and 1930’s during the Great Depression.

Jim is a fierce boxer during the 1920’s and is very successful, but as the years go by Jim begins to wash up and lose his luck in the ring. He suffers an injury and loses his job as a professional boxer right as the economy... 734 Words | 2 Pages Essay on Cinderella Man and the Great Depression ...James J. Braddock once said, " I have to believe that once things are bad, I have to change them". The movie Cinderella Man is about Braddock rising from a poor, unsuccessful boxer to the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The historical background to his life and career was during the same time period as the Great Depression. James Braddock was not always the boxer he is now known to be, in the 1920’s he had lost one third of his fights and people referred... 837 Words | 2 Pages

Question: Which heavyweight boxer was known as the 'Cinderella Man'?
Answer: JAMES J. BRADDOCK